Jerry McIntire

Benjamin Dinkel wrote:Or are the willow feeders using barrels?

I believe the willow feeders at Wheaton Labs are using barrels. It reduces handling and turning piles almost to nothing, is very convenient, simple, and clean. Finding a source for used barrels is the biggest challenge.

Tiago Simões wrote:Others, like me, can't reach a single trace of actual wildlife in a thousand mile radius.

I hope you are able to move soon. But really, there is mo place without wildlife for a thousand mile radius. In the most densely populated cities, there are birds and fish and insects and squirrels and ...

Don't like any of  the alternatives. My suggestion: Rocket Masonry Heater. Still RMH.

If I don't get to suggest, triple burn is the only acceptable one.

We have three compost methods, and I want to add a fourth with worms for humanure. The three we have: bins (trash barrels) in which we mix browns and greens (nitrogen) regularly. All our kitchen scraps that don't go to the chickens go in there, and some garden scraps and plenty of leaves for brown (carbon).
A couple yard debris piles that would overwhelm the bins. One of these piles is in the chicken yard, they turn it over, eat some things, and manure it all. We put this in the gardens early in the spring.
Third is direct composting, "in place", in the gardens. This is mostly grass clippings for mulch, and in the fall chopped leaves (chopped with electric lawnmower). We have plenty of grass clippings, as we are still shrinking our lawn, so some of these go in the pile in the chicken yard.
I plan to use plastic bins for humanure, leaving them for a year to compost after filling them, unless I build a dry composting toilet that uses worms-- like this brilliant design which I have used (and liked) in Argentina: Perma Preta on Facebook  Perma Preta website (in Spanish) It was the prototype I used, which consists mainly of a vault in the ground under the dry toilet, a hose from the urine diverter to a five gallon container (good for adding water to dilute), and a grate placed halfway down in the vault on which worms live, eating and digesting the feces which they then drop as worm castings into the bottom. Has to be emptied very infrequently (years!) and no moving parts except a vent fan, which can be passive/wind-driven if you like.

I like Darn Tough socks but they are not the warmest or the most comfortable as they can be tight. One of the most durable and comfortable socks I have used are Wigwam Ultimax midweight. They last and last and last. They keep feet dry, but they are all synthetic: 34% X2O® Acrylic, 31% Polypropylene, 23% Stretch Nylon, 11% Polyester, 1% Spandex.

I like wool socks like Darn Tough and Farm to Feet, but the warmest are heavyweight alpaca or heavyweight wool. They just aren't as durable. I will have to try JP Icelandic socks.

Hello, we just moved back to Michigan last year and love the lakes. We have a double lot in Elk Rapids where we have a garden and fruit trees, along with a pond for rainwater. We also have a couple acres near Lake Charlevoix that we want to plan for earthworks and houses. It is low, all cedar, and wet in spring so we want to excavate ponds to focus the drainage and build up areas that will be dry for houses. Other permies in Charlevoix/Antrim/GrandTraverse counties?

John F Dean wrote:I use the standard backpacker approach.  Thin cotton socks on first.  Thick wool socks over that.  If I am going to be wet, I put a plastic bag in between.

I do something similar, but use thin synthetic socks first. They don't hold moisture like cotton does. Two pair of wool could do the same as long as the first is thin-- but be sure there is plenty of room in the boot. As others have mentioned, a tight fit stops circulation.

I like the page overall. The weight of a mass heater is a consideration, one which the movies should address (and probably some do). I would add something that says, "Most easily built where local zoning and permitting is not restrictive." This is key for way too many of us who live where building departments have tight controls over wood heating in homes.

paul wheaton wrote:About 12 years ago I went to an eco event and I thought it would be fun to record the regional experts responding to my question "what is the best thing a person can do for the environment?"  A few of the answers were "don't have kids" but for every one of those there were five answers of "die" or the variation "dig a giant hole in the ground, get in, and then die."
Answers about not having babies, and dying, added up to about 95% of all the answers.  So dark.

The focus on blame leads to darkness. A focus on possibility is the opposite of nihilism. What can we do? -is a much more interesting question than- Who made this mess? And really, killing yourself sells yourself short. You're smarter/wiser/more joyful than that. If you're not *living* the example of a small footprint, who will be that example?

I also disagree with the assessment that the biggest problems are due to overpopulation. Blaming and negativity, greed and ignorance, these are the big problems that lead to environmental degradation. It's how we live, not that there are so many of us. Quit with the excuses and garden/compost/make friends/build responsibly/reduce/reuse/do what you love. Yes, it's going to take hundreds of years. Get on with it.

More than happy to donate, permies.com is such a valuable resource for everyday permie questions and for the social/emotional support that we all need. It's so great to know that you all are out there doing your best and changing the world!